Brassiere



April 27, 1948.

M. c. BARLOW ETAL BRASSIERE Filed Nov. 29, 1946 FIG 3 FIG.- 4.

FIG. 6

FIG. 5

Invuniani' MIRIAM COOPER HARLOW By EVERETT WAYNE HARLOW Patented Apr. 27, 1948 BRASSIERE Miriam Cooper Barlow, Columbus, Ga., and Everett Wayne Barlow, Sarasota, Fla.

Application November 29, 1946, Serial No. 712,900

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to new and novel imv provements in brassieres. The conventional cloth brassiere consists of one or more pieces of fabric suitable for covering and supporting the bust, held on the wearer by a backstrap and shoulder straps. These straps confine the movements of the wearer and thus are detrimental to comfort, as well as to the wearer's appearance when outer low neck line clothing is worn. Further, the straps and connecting clasps are subject to breakage, must be repaired or replaced frequently and are difficult to launder. I

Prior attempts have been made to avoid these disadvantages by various means, which means in some cases have allowed for the elimination of the shoulder straps. As a result of the present invention. however, a practical and attractive strapless brassire, requiring no clasps for attachment to the wearer, is afforded. The novel design of the invention in its several modifications and the more specific advantages thereof, will be more fully apparent from a description of the drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view of a woman shown wearing the invention of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the wire brassiere frame of the invention of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a perspective detail of a removable fabric cover adapted to fit over the frame of Fig. 3; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective views of two modifications of the invention.

Referring to Figs. 1-4, the invention illustrated consists of the resilient wire frame II], which may be formed of a single piece of wire bent in the shape shown in Fig. 3 to form the curved upward ends H, and the bust conforming curves l2. To provide additional strength, in the front, the ends of the Wires forming frame l0 may be crossed and fastened as by a link l3, and crimped over the wire forming the lower part of frame It), as at It and I5. As will be apparent hereinafter, the precise method of connecting the wire frame is not an essential feature of the invention, but may be accomplished in various ways without departing from the basis thereof.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4, the frame It) is preferably covered with a removable envelopelike cover I 6, having a slide fastener I! along its lower inside edge permitting the frame ill to be removed for the purpose of laundering or changing the cover l6. As illustrated, the cover I 6 is of plain design, but obviously a variety of covers of the bust conforming portion.

suitable for various social occasions may be employed, and likewise the cover may be formed.

with pleats or otherconventional bust supporting or molding features.

As shown in Figs..1-3, the ends ll of frame [0 provide the supporting means. 'I'hese curve in wardly and upwardly, and terminate at points approximately opposite the horizontal center'line Due to this construction, as seen in Fig. 2 frame I0 curves below the armpits and below and around the lowerv and inner edges of the shoulder blade, ends ll curving upward to terminate at points along the inner edge of the shoulder blades, thus assuring a firm support for the bust supporting part of the brassiere. The frame l0 and its upturned ends ll, being formed of resilient wire, may be bent to a considerable degree to conform to the figure of the particular wearer, and to assure the desired amount of grip of ends H around the body.

In Fig. 5 is illustrated a modified form of the invention, a brassiere 2|] of one-piece construction which may be formed of any suitable material having the desired resiliency, such as a plastic or sheet metal. Brassire 20 is formed in the same general shape as described above for the frame I0 with the upturned ends IIA. Depending upon the type of material employed, and the social occasion, brassiere 20 may be employed with or without a fabric cover such as is shown in Fig. 3. For example, brassiere 20 may be formed of an opaque plastic in colors to match the remainder of the costume and worn without such a fabric cover.

In Fig. 6 is illustrated another modified form of the invention, a brassiere frame 30 of the same general description described for Fig. 5 except that it is formed with the open bust frames 3| and requires a fabric covering such as shown in Fig. 3, This modification may likewise be formed of any suitable resilient material such as plastic or sheet metal.

The modifications of the invention as just described will be found to be very comfortable on the wearer, and depending upon the social occa- In the claims below the words "strapless brassire" will be understood to mean a brassiere without supporting means over the shoulders, such as straps, and without back-joining or closing means, such as the usual elastic straps.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a strapless brassire, bust covering means including an integral framework of resilient material, the upper frontal portion thereof being disposed on the body above the horizontal midsection of the bust, the lower frontal portion thereof being disposed on the body substantially directly beneath the bust and extending substantially laterally toward opposite sides of the body; said framework having body clasping, end portions passing around opposite sides of the body beneath the armpits and extending to and exerting pressure against the back at'separated points inside and between the shoulder blades of the wearer, said end portions providing the sole supporting means for the briassire.

2. In a strapless brassire, bust covering means including an integral framework of resilient material, the upper frontal portion thereof being disposed on the body above the horizontal midsection of the bust, the lower frontal portion thereof'being disposed on the body substantially directly beneath the bust and extending substantially laterally toward opposite sides of the body; said framework having body clasping end portions passing around opposite sides of the body beneath the armpits and extending to and exerting pressure against the back at separated points between the shoulder blades of the wearer approximately opposite the horizontal midsection of the frontal framework, said end portions'proviimg the sole supporting means for the bras- 51 re.

3. In a strapless brassiere, bust-covering means including an integral framework of resilient material, the frontal part of said framework being composed of an upper portion shaped in breast conforming loops resting against the body above the breasts and a lower portion disposed on r the body substantially directly below the breasts and extending laterally toward opposite sides of the body; said framework having means to apply supporting pressure against the back of the wearer consisting of integrally formed extensions of said upper and lower frontal portions, said extensions passing substantially laterally around the sides of the body beneath the armpits and in an upward direction to terminate at separated P ints inside and between the shoulder blades of the wearer. said' extensions providing the sole supporting means for the framework; and a fabric cover for the breasts supported between said upper and lower frontal framework portions.

4. In a strapless brassire, bust covering means including an integral framework of resilient material, the frontal portion whereof substantially covers the breasts, the lower edge of said frontal portion being disposed on the body substantially directly below the breasts and extending substantially laterally toward opposite sides of the body;

and extensions of said frontal framework passing around the sides of the body beneath the armpits and terminating at separated points inside of and between the shoulder blades of the wearer, and

' exerting pressure at said points to provide the sole supporting means for said framework.

MIRIAM COOPER BARLOW. EVERETT WAYNE HARLOW.

REFERENCES CITED 3 The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 494,397 Tucek Mar. 28, 1893 2,013,554 De Benedetto Sept. 3, 1935 2,045,401 Mowry June 23, 1936 2,191,545 Schneider Feb. 27, 1940 2,343,631 Bailey Mar. 7, 1944 2,391,417 Hill Dec. 25, 1945 2,414,590 Folb Jan. 21, 1947 2,420,575 Treadwell May 13, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 548,177 France Oct-13, 1922 771,567 France July 30, 1934 854,831 France Jan. 29, 1940 

